


Dirty Dancing

by Mordukai



Series: Daichi rarepair week 2017 [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Angst, Daichi Rarepair Week, Dancer AU, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Sports Swap AU, akaashi owns a dance company, alcohol use, clueless daichi, daiteru, dance company, dancer!daichi, dancer!terushima, moody terushima, oisuga side pairing, terudai - Freeform, ushiten sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-24 02:29:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9695720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mordukai/pseuds/Mordukai
Summary: Terushima, Daichi, Oikawa and Sugawara are dancers for Akaashi's dance company.Terushima has feelings for Daichi. Everyone knows, except for Daichi himself.Things are awkward.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Daichi rarepair day 3  
> Prompt: sports swap

"You have to jump into the lift, Teru," says Daichi, as yet again Terushima's feet stay firmly on the ground. "I'm strong, but I'm not that strong."

They're practicing in the studio after hours. 

"You will remember to put the key back this time, Terushima," says Akaashi, when Terushima begs him for more practice time. "And turn the lights off after."

"I always do," says Terushima, scowling, and Suga and Oikawa, on the floor putting their shoes back on, snicker.

"You never do, Terushima," sighs Akaashi. But Daichi steps in, promises to be the responsible one this time, and Akaashi trusts him, because he's always on time and helps to tidy up at the end of practice. 

So now it's just the two of them.

"What if I crush you?" says Terushima, in a whiny voice. 

"I find that insulting, look at me." Daichi flexes his muscles. "Come on, you've seen me lift pretty much everyone in the class."

Terushima scuffs his feet on the floor. His dance shoes are falling apart but despite Akaashi constantly getting on at him to buy new ones he still hasn't. "Fine," he says. "Let's try again."

This time he puts in a bit more effort, and Daichi manages to lift him up into the turn. He pivots, bringing Terushima with him, and then sets him down on the other side.  
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it," he says. 

Terushima shakes his head. "I guess not," he mumbles.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Let's do the next bit."

Daichi is puzzled. "We don't need to practice the next bit, it's just the lift. And we should do it again, just so I know you've really got it."

"I have got it! I did it right, didn't I?" His face feels hot and he knows that he's blushing, so he turns away to grab his water bottle and hide it. Daichi watches, puzzled.

"One more time, at least."

There's a tension in the room that's been building the entire time they've been alone. As his hands clasp Terushima again Daichi can feel how tense he is. He glances at his dance partner's face to gauge how he's feeling, but Terushima won't meet his eyes.

"We can do it now," says Terushima, the moment his feet touch the floor. "I have to go."

"Ok," says Daichi, frowning. "Did I do something wrong?"

Terushima shakes his head and sits down on the floor to put on his trainers. He shoves his things into his bag, still refusing to look Daichi in the eye. 

"I'll see you tomorrow at practice then," says Daichi, as Terushima leaves.

-

"It's so fucking awkward," Terushima moans as Bobata passes him the bottle of vodka. He takes it, and takes a swig.

"Must have been bad, if you're drinking from the bottle," intones his friend. "Go easy on that, we all want some."

Terushima scowls and passes the bottle on to Tendou. The three of them are sitting in Tendou's living room, waiting on a pizza delivery. It's their usual Friday night get together, pizza and alcohol and moaning about their respective weeks at work. Bobata works at a local primary school, teaching PE to five to ten year olds. Tendou's a car mechanic. According to the two of them, Terushima has the easiest job as a professional dancer, since he only has to flail his body around to some music, in Tendou's words. Terushima disagrees.

"It's not even the dance this time. I mean, the lift was hard and I'd rather I wasn't the one being lifted but Akaashi insisted. But I have to work with him." He stresses the last word.

"Oh, this the guy you were telling us about last week?" Tendou asks, adding more vodka to his vodka coke. "The cute one?"

"The cute, oblivious one," grumbles Terushima.

"It's not like you've made a move on him yet," says Bobata. 

Terushima is silent. No, it's not. But he's just so stoic. So unmovable. He doesn't know what to say when he's with Daichi, doesn't know how to act. He grunts a response, and then 'so the kids do anything funny this week?" he asks.

"One of them threw up on my new trainers," says Bobata, and Tendou laughs, his drink firing out of his nostrils and as he splutters and coughs Terushima throws a box of tissues at him and the topic of Daichi is over for the night.

-

Daichi leans on the doorbell. The house is small and well kept, with a neat path through the front garden. It's nice. He wonders where Akaashi finds the time to keep it that neat, but then Akaashi has always prioritised order over other things.

"Daichi," says Akaashi when he opens the door.

"Thought I'd stop by and return the key," says Daichi, holding out his hand.

Akaashi takes the key. "I take it Terushima didn't burn down the building then," he says dryly. 

Daichi lets out a short laugh. "No, no, he wasn't any trouble, except..." He trails off.

Akaashi looks at him intensely. "Except what?" he asks.

"He's just been acting a little odd. I thought maybe I'd done something to upset him."

"Not that I know of," says Akaashi. "I can talk to him if you think it'll help."

Daichi shakes his head quickly. "No, it'll be fine."

"It better be fine in time for the first performance," says Akaashi.

"It will be," Daichi promises. 

He heads back to his car, still puzzling over Terushima's odd behaviour. He knows two people who are always up for gossip, though, and he resolves to ask them both. If anyone knows it'll be Suga and Oikawa.

-

Oikawa and Suga are still up when he pulls into the driveway. The three of them share a house, because it's cheaper that way. Daichi finds them in the kitchen, playing cards, the dirty dishes left over from dinner stacked in the sink, unwashed.

"There's lasagne in the oven for you if you fancy it, Dai," says Suga, glancing up at Daichi quickly before returning to his hand of cards.

"Cheers," says Daichi, dropping his bag on the floor and reaching for a plate.

"So how was the trouble maker," says Oikawa, grinning at Daichi. "Just the two of you, alone..."

Daichi is oblivious to the teasing. "Teru? Fine. I mean, not fine. It was a bit weird, I think I've done something to upset him."

"Daichi, sit down." Oikawa gestures to the empty chair beside him. Daichi sits, and begins to eat. "Have you not noticed anything about the way Terushima acts towards you?" he asks him.

Daichi shakes his head. "I thought we were cool, until today. I thought maybe he just doesn't like dancing as my partner."

"He wants to be more than dance partners," says Suga with a grin.

"What?"

"Dai, you really are dense. Everyone in the group can tell Teru fancies the shit out of you. Tooru, hurry up and deal. I know I'm gonna beat you and I want my victory before we die of old age."

Oikawa huffs and throws down the cards. "You always beat me," he says, glaring at Suga, who smirks in response. "It's pointless playing with you."

Daichi slowly chews a mouthful of lasagne, his expression thoughtful. He swallows, lays down his fork and then says "he fancies me?"

"It's obvious," says Suga, "isn't it, Tooru?"

Oikawa nods. "Everyone knows."

"I spoke to Akaashi earlier this evening about him, and he didn't mention it."

"Of course he didn't," says Suga. "He's messing with you. That's why he paired you with him."

Akaashi, messing with Daichi? Daichi isn't sure he can trust Suga in this, but that's not the main issue right now.

"He fancies me?" he says again.

"Oh for fucks sake Daichi," says Oikawa. "It's blatantly obvious. We've all been waiting for him to make a proper move on you but I guess he's shyer than he looks."

Daichi stands up abruptly. "I'm gonna shower," he says. "Didn't get a chance to after practice."

He mulls everything over as the hot water pounds over his skin. The younger man is quite attractive, it's not like Daichi has never thought of him in that way before. And they're going to be dance partners whether they like it or not, so one way or another he has to sort it out. He resolves to bring it up with Terushima the next day.

-

Terushima is drunk. Drunker than he usually gets on a Friday night. Normally, he doesn't let himself go past the point of tipsy; just enough alcohol to have fun, but not too much that it will leave him with a hangover and affect his Saturday dance practice. But it's hard not to get completely wasted when you start the night with vodka neat from the bottle. 

Tendou is picking at the leftover pieces of pizza. "I'm gonna head to bed," he slurs. "You can crash here if you like."

Terushima tries to stand up. "I'm going home," he says, before stumbling and falling back down onto the sofa.

"Oh no you're not," says Bobata. He's the soberest of them all, but even he has had too much to drive home. 

"Fine, I'll sleep here," mutters Terushima, curling up into a ball on the sofa. "Turn the lights out."

Bobata laughs. "Tendou, you got any spare blankets?"

"Airing cupboard, top of the stairs. One of you can take Wakatoshi's bed, he's away this weekend." Tendou runs a hand through his bright red hair. "Don't be loud in the morning. I need sleep." And he disappears upstairs.

"You want the bed, Teru?"

Terushima shakes his head and groans. "Stairs," he says pathetically. 

Bobata laughs. "I'll grab you a blanket. Think I can just chuck it down the stairs or do you need me to tuck you in?"

"Chuck it," says Terushima. 

In five minutes, Bobata's thrown him a blanket, the lights are off and Terushima is lying on the sofa, trying to sleep. His head is spinning from the alcohol, and thoughts of Daichi creep unbidden into his head. He groans. Why did that fucker Akaashi pair him with Daichi? Why does Daichi have such wonderful muscles? Why does everything he does, everything he says, affect him so much? He can feel himself beginning to harden as he thinks of him, but he really doesn't want to beat one out on his friend's sofa, and he's too drunk to get up to go to the bathroom, so he ignores it, and tries not to think about Daichi and his perfect smile and his sexy body and his deep voice.

-

Daichi lies in bed, thinking about Terushima. His hair, that undercut that would be annoying on anyone else but somehow suits Teru. That tongue piercing that's visible when he laughs or when he sticks out his tongue, which he often does. The way his body feels when Daichi lifts him, his muscles tight under Daichi's hands. He's never thought about the blonde this much, but something about these feelings just feels right. Tomorrow, he thinks. I'll talk to him tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2. Sorry it took so long for me to write, I wrote Terushima week, a rare pair exchange fic, and finished my dissertation before I remembered that I'd promised to work more on this one.

Terushima's day begins with a hangover. It's to be expected, of course, but he still moans about it, sitting at Tendou's kitchen table clutching his head as his friends talk too loudly and the lights shine too brightly and everything is just bad.

"Coffee?" asks Tendou.

Terushima just groans in response. Bobata is crashing around looking for food, pulling things out of the immaculately organised cupboards, making a mess of Ushijima's kitchen. Because it's Ushijima who organises the place, and Tendou and his friends who usually mess it up.

"The caffeine might help," says Tendou, grinning at Terushima's discomfort. "Man, I'm glad I'm not you this morning."

"Fuck you," snaps Terushima.

A piece of bread flies across the room, bouncing off Terushima's head and falling onto the floor beside him. He flinches, but otherwise doesn't react.

"Breakfast," says Bobata. "I don't memorise you schedule or anything, Teru, so I could be wrong, but I think you're gonna be late if you don't leave soon."

Terushima slowly pulls his hands away from his eyes and glances up at the kitchen clock. And then leaps to his feet.

"Shit," he mutters, picking the bread up off the floor. He stuffs it into his mouth. Tendou and Bobata watch, smirking.

"Sure you don't want something on that, dude?" says Tendou, as Terushima chokes down the dry bread.

"No time," mutters Terushima. Akaashi is going to kill him. He's literally going to kill him. He's up and out of the kitchen, pausing to grab Tendou's coffee from the work surface.

"Hey," shouts Tendou, but Terushima is already gulping down the lukewarm liquid. "I offered you a coffee," mutters Tendou, "not my coffee."

Terushima is pulling his shoes on in the hallway. He's still in his clothes from the day before, now rumpled and probably smelly from drinking and sleeping. His teeth feel fuzzy and his head is spinning. He's worried he might puke, but at least he has caffeine running through his veins now.

"Have a good day at practice," says Bobata smugly. 

Terushima flips him the bird as he leaves the house, kit bag thrown over his shoulder.

-

Daichi is woken by his alarm. It's early, but it's ok. He's not a morning person, not really, but he's training himself to be. He's so much more productive if he starts the day properly. He has to be quiet though, as he doesn't want to awaken the combined wrath of Suga and Oikawa, neither of whom are early birds. He starts with exercises. Stretches out, feeling the wonderful pull of his muscles waking up. Drops into a few squats, some pull ups on the bar over his doorway. Push ups, crunches. He hums softly as he bends over to touch his toes, then lowers himself into the splits. Well, almost. That's a skill Daichi will probably never gain, but it doesn't hurt to try each morning. Each day he feels as if he's getting closer but it also feels like he'll never manage.

Teru can do the splits.

The thought, and the image of Terushima dropping into the splits in front of him, that smug, shit eating grin pasted across his face, springs unbidden into Daichi's mind. He blushes, even though he's alone in his room, and readjusts his sleep shorts. Goddamnit. Shower, clothes, breakfast. Forget about Terushima. Stick to routine.

Suga and Oikawa surface as Daichi's cooking eggs. 

"Do you even sleep?" grumbles Suga, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You're like a fucking morning... thing. A fucking happy morning thing. It's disgusting."

Daichi turns round to see Suga at the kitchen doorway, Oikawa close behind him wrapped in the entire duvet from their double bed.

"A morning thing," he says, shaking his head. "Creative. Eggs?"

Suga nods and parks himself at the table, waiting. Oikawa sits next to him, still wrapped in the duvet.

"Me too," he says.

"You could lay the table or something," says Daichi, but he's not expecting either of them to move. They don't surprise him.

"Daaaaiiiichiiii," whines Oikawa.

"You know, one day you two are gonna wake up and there won't be any breakfast. I'll just go to work without feeding you."

Suga feigns shock. "But Daichi, we'd die of starvation."

"That's the point," says Daichi, bringing over plates piled high with scrambled egg on toast. 

"Daichi, how could you?" Oikawa says.

"Easily, and with a clear conscious," says Daichi, sitting down beside him and beginning to eat.

Suga and Oikawa huff and scowl, but tuck into their breakfasts.

-

Terushima is late. He knew he would be as he was pulling on his shoes in Tendou's hallway, but all the way to work he had been hoping that a miracle would occur and time would slow down. He parks his motorbike outside the building, realising he's lucky that he wasn't pulled over given the amount of alcohol he consumed the night before. Driving probably wasn't the safest option, but if he'd walked or waited for a bus he would have been even later. He removes his helmet and makes his way inside, his head still pounding, hoping that Akaashi isn't there yet.

Akaashi is there. Of course he is. He always is. Terushima can feel the glare drilling into him from all the way down the corridor. He tries to head straight into the changing rooms.

"Terushima!"

No luck.

"Terushima, my office, now!"

Terushima sighs, and changes direction. Akaashi's office is the last place he wants to be with a hangover. As he enters, he realises that a group of other dancers are staring at him, whispering. Probably laughing at him too. He doesn't stop to notice who it is, because he doesn't want to know. He's pretty sure Daichi isn't there, though.

"Sit down, Terushima." Akaashi waves at the seat in front of the desk. He's sitting behind it, looking almost exactly like a movie villain. He just needs the cat on his lap and the lighting to be lower and the scene would be perfect, thinks Terushima.

Terushima sits.

"You're late," says Akaashi.

"Yeah, sorry, won't happen again," says Terushima.

"It will, though, won't it?"

Terushima doesn't answer. There's no point. 

"Look, Terushima. I like you-" 

Terushima almost laughs, but he manages to control himself.

"-And I need you. This show season is our biggest yet. Please don't mess things up for the whole company."

"I won't," says Terushima, wishing he was anywhere but here. He hasn't been with the company as long as some of the others, and he feels like he's still on some kind of probation period. Akaashi has never completely accepted him into the group and that makes him feel separate from the others. Perhaps, he thinks treacherously, if Akaashi treated him better then he'd be less of a disappointment, less of a fuck up.

"I'll hold you to that," says Akaashi. He tries to smile, but the sentence still comes out vaguely threatening. "Go get changed and warm up, we're practicing technique over choreography today, there's some movements that look sloppy that need to be perfect."

-

Terushima goes out of his way to avoid Daichi. He finds Nishinoya in a practice room, working on a break dance routine. Nishinoya only dances break dance, which makes Terushima jealous. Akaashi expects everyone else to try their hand at everything. Nishinoya was one of the original members of the company, though, and apparently only break dancing was one of the conditions he made when he joined.

"Hey Noya," says Terushima.

"Teru!" Nishinoya bounces over. He's one of the few people at the company who genuinely seem to enjoy spending time with Terushima. Most of the others find Terushima annoying, but Nishinoya has a similar level of energy, always bouncing and bubbly, and they get on well. So Terushima practices with Nishinoya for a while, working on moves that he really doesn't need to perfect this season because he's not working on any break dance routines. But Nishinoya is starting a kids' class soon, and needs someone to test his choreography on. It's tough, and Terushima wonders whether the children will be able to cope. Nishinoya doesn't always realise that he's actually an incredibly skilled dancer, because it comes so naturally to him.

There's only so much break dance that Terushima can take, though, especially at the intensity that Nishinoya dances.

"Might wanna tone some of that down for the classes," he offers as he leaves, out of breath.

"Maybe the kids are better dancers than you," says Nishinoya, but coming from him it seems like the joke it actually is rather than a barbed insult that Akaashi might spit.

He knows he should look for Daichi, practice their joint choreography or even just the jump technique. Or, if not Daichi, the rest of the contemporary dancers. But he finds himself in the ballet studio where Suga and Oikawa are practicing barre work. They're so graceful, and Terushima feels another sting of jealousy. 

"Teru!" yells Oikawa, earning himself a playful punch on the shoulder from Suga.

"Tooru, focus," says Suga.

Oikawa ignores him.

"Teru, what are you doing in here? Daichi's looking for you."

Shit, thinks Terushima.

"Uhh, I'm looking for him, too," he lies. "Where is he now?"

"Practice room four," says Suga. "I think, anyway."

"Thanks," says Terushima, and walks away in the opposite direction to practice room four.

-

Avoiding Daichi only lasts so long. Terushima is chatting with Ennoshita and Kuroo, who are practicing jazz turns, when Akaashi appears.

"Terushima, get your ass down to practice room four and work on what you're being paid to work on," he snaps, glaring across the room. Terushima wishes he could hide, but he's in plain view and there's nowhere to go.

Akaashi's shooting daggers at Terushima. Then he turns and storms out.

"I'll be checking," he says as he leaves. "That lift better be perfect. You're supposed to be vaguely competent in contemporary even if you're shit at everything else."

This isn't fair, but Terushima bites his tongue. He doesn't want to argue, but he knows that he's more than 'vaguely competent'. He's not a bad dancer, and he isn't a one trick pony either. Contemporary isn't his only talent even if Akaashi won't let him try his hand at anything else.

"Dude, you better go," says Kuroo. Then he spins, attempting a triple jazz turn, and stumbles as he lands. "Damn, so close. I have doubles down pat, but of course Akaashi's choreo calls for a triple."

Ennoshita moves over to help him and Terushima knows that he's not wanted anymore.

-

"I've been looking for you all over," says Daichi, as Terushima enters the practice room.

Terushima rolls his eyes at him. "I'm here now, ok," he says.

Daichi watches him pull on his dance shoes, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What's got into you the last few days?" he asks. It can't be what Suga and Oikawa said. If it was, Terushima wouldn't be so grumpy at him, right?

"Nothing," says Terushima, not meeting Daichi's eyes. "I'm just tired." He doesn't add, and hung over, but his head is still pounding which, he realises, might be having an effect on his mood. "Let's practice, then."

They run the music, and practice the lift, which works perfectly. Then they run the choreography from the top, and they execute the lift flawlessly again. Daichi turns the music off.

"Why couldn't you do that yesterday?" he asks.

Terushima shrugs.

"Want to practice any other bits?" Daichi asks.

Terushima shakes his head. He motions towards the clock on the wall. "It's lunchtime."

Before Daichi can ask him to eat with him, which he is planning on doing, Terushima is gone. Damn, thinks Daichi, he really doesn't want to spend time with me. Then he shrugs, grabbing his bag and setting off to meet Suga and Oikawa for their usual lunch break. It stings, and he admits to himself that he is a little upset, because the thought of Terushima liking him has been growing in his mind, but everyone obviously read the situation wrong, and if he doesn't leave Teru alone then it might reach a point where the dance and the shows are ruined.

-

Terushima meets Tendou at a cafe down the street from the dance studio. It's a dingy place with low lighting and overly greasy food, but none of the other dancers like it so he can get some privacy. Tendou is waiting for him at their usual table.

"I already ordered for me, dude," he says as Terushima slides into the seat opposite him. The plastic is sticky and the table hasn't been cleared or wiped since the previous patrons left. "You wanna go up and order?"

"S'cool, I'm not hungry," says Terushima.

"So how was it with the other half today?" asks Tendou, grinning at Terushima. He looks almost like a demon when he smiles, his flaming red hair just the icing on the cake.

"He's not my other half, and he's a fucking asshole and I hate my job," snaps Terushima.

Tendou opens his mouth to reply but at that moment his food arrives. Terushima stares hungrily at the full English piled high on Tendou's plate.

"Hey, this is my breakfast!" Tendou says as Terushima reaches over and snags a sausage. "You said you weren't hungry."

"I lied," says Terushima. "I'm hungry and miserable." He chomps on the sausage before Tendou can snatch it back.

Daichi is off limits for the rest of the conversation. Tendou rambles on and on about Ushijima, Terushima only half listening to him. Apparently, Tendou misses him, but he hasn't called - "he's only been away for two days," says Terushima - and Tendou really wants to move their relationship on from housemates with benefits to something romantic, but Ushijima has shown no interest to his advances. Tendou doesn't want to wreck their friendship, or lose out on the sex they're currently having, but he wants more. Terushima nods and pulls all of the appropriate faces, but he's not thinking about Tendou and Ushijima, he's thinking about Daichi, and the fact that he would give anything for sex and friendship even without the romance, although the romance would be a plus too.

-

Terushima doesn't come back to work that afternoon. 

"Where is he?" Akaashi asks Daichi.

Daichi shrugs. "He left at lunchtime," he says.

Akaashi sighs a long suffering sigh. "I'm gonna write him up. I can't cut him from this seasons' shows but he's on thin ice and I swear if he puts another toe over the line I'm docking his pay."

Daichi smiles nervously. Akaashi is scary when he's angry, and Daichi is realising what Akaashi must seem like from Terushima's point of view.

"You tell him, Daichi," Akaashi continues. "You tell him, he's on thin ice."

"If I see him," says Daichi.

-

It's three in the afternoon and Terushima is in a bar. He's drinking again, despite the hangover. He wants the numbness that vodka brings, but drinking alone isn't the same as drinking with friends and it's only sadness, not numbness, that he can feel. It's not even just about Daichi, although his feelings and this pair up was the last straw. No, it's the whole damn job. It's the fact that he's been working in this company for six months now and he still feels like the new guy, like an outsider, like someone not qualified to be a part of it. He still feels as if he's in the audition, and that Akaashi hasn't decided whether to keep him or not. And he hates it. He loves to dance, but this job is making him hate it. And if he hates dance, then he has nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there are going to be two more chapters. I'm not completely sure though. This isn't the end, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

Terushima is onto his seventh pint when Bobata joins him. He barely acknowledges his friend as he slides onto the stool beside him.

"Dude, stop being so miserable," says Bobata, punching Terushima lightly on the upper arm. "What are you doing here alone?"

"What are you doing here at all," slurs Terushima, staring resolutely at the remains of his beer and wondering whether he should order another one.

"Teru, it's six pm," says Bobata, rolling his eyes. "I'm here for after work drinks."

"Alone?" Terushima really wants another drink, but lifting his arm to flag down the bartender feels like too much movement.

Bobata rolls his eyes again. It's becoming a habit when Terushima's around, especially when he's in this lovesick state. "No, dummy, with people from work. They're over in the corner waiting for me."

"Go and join them then," Terushima slurs. He scowls at his hand which isn't doing what he wants it to do. "I want... I need another beer."

"What you need is a pint of water and a kebab," says Bobata. "And then a sleep."

"Do not."

"Do too. Come on, let me take you home, my car's out back. The joys of being the designated driver." He waves his car keys at Terushima, who winces at the jangly sound.  
"I can't go home, I'm too... sad." Terushima slumps back down onto the bar, having failed to attract the bartender's attention.

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill. Let me get you home and into bed. I'm sure tomorrow you'll be fine," says Bobata, attempting to lift Terushima to his feet.

"I can go home... by myself." Terushima stands, wobbles, and collapses into Bobata's arms.

"Sure you can, buddy," says Bobata, half leading, half carrying his friend out of the bar. He waves to his colleagues as he leaves, flashing them ten fingers and mouthing 'ten minutes, tops'.

-

Terushima drinks a full bottle of water in Bobata's car. He manages to wait until they reach his flat, which is luckily very close, before he opens the car door and pukes onto the pavement. Bobata takes him inside, taking his keys and unlocking the door for him because there's no way Terushima can do it. He pushes him up the stairs into the flat and deposits him onto the grubby, half collapsed sofa in the living room. In the kitchenette he throws some instant noodles into the microwave and fills a bottle of water from the tap. Once the microwave has beeped and the food is ready, he takes the bowl of noodles and bottle of water back through to Terushima and places them on the floor beside him. He flicks the TV on, volume down low.

"Eat, drink water, watch something funny-" he gestures at the TV which is showing an old episode of some random sitcom "-sleep, then shower. You'll feel better tomorrow. Ring me if you need me, ok."

Terushima nods. He looks pitiful, curled up on the sofa in the dimly lit room. Bobata feels bad leaving him, but his colleagues are waiting and Terushima hasn't asked him to stay.  
"You're alright, bro. You're just having a bad day."

Every day seems like a bad day at the moment, but Terushima nods and turns to watch the TV. The canned laughter coming from the TV feels almost inappropriate given the mood in the room. Bobata heads out, looking back one last time, but Terushima doesn't look up. In fact, Bobata realises, his eyes are closed. Maybe he's actually going to get some sleep, he thinks. 

-

Terushima is woken by his phone ringing. He jerks awake and jumps up from the sofa, stepping in the now cold bowl of instant noodles as he does so. He squeals and kicks them away, spilling them across the floor. His head is pounding. His phone is under one of the sofa cushions. It must have slipped out of his pocket as he slept. He manages to answer it just in time.

"Hullo?" he says. The TV is still on, so he turns it off. Without its flickering light the room is in almost complete darkness.

"Terushima," says a voice. "It's Akaashi."

"Oh," says Terushima. He sits back down on the sofa. This is not a conversation he wants to have.

"Where the fuck were you this afternoon? I had to run rehearsals without you. Sugawara had to stand in."

"I left," says Terushima.

"Yes I know that, you sure as hell weren't in the studio. But where did you go? What could possibly have been so important that you had to leave?"

"It's too hard. I want to quit," says Terushima, hating how whiny he sounds.

"Of course it's tough, it's dance. What were you expecting? I know you're new but you have to get used to it, this is just how it is here."

"I just don't fit. It's not working. I'm not working-"

"You certainly weren't working this afternoon."

"I don't want to come back. Suga can take my place, he's better at it than me anyway." He knows he sounds like a child and he hates it.

"Sugawara doesn't have the jump down like you do. He works well with Daichi but he's better at lifting. You can't just drop your role like this."

"So I'm better?"

"At that part, yes."

This is the first time Akaashi has paid him a compliment, and it doesn't go unnoticed by Terushima. It doesn't change anything, though. 

"I'm still not coming back."

Akaashi sighs long and hard over the phone. Then he says, "I'm sending Daichi over. Maybe he can talk some sense into you." Then he hangs up.

-

Terushima didn't want Daichi to see him in this state, with his flat looking this gross and his breath still heavy with alcohol. But by now it's almost ten o' clock and he's tired and hungover and he can't make himself go and clean up no matter how much he tells himself that he should. So when his doorbell rings, he's still sitting on his sofa, breath smelling vaguely of puke and strongly of beer, with cold noodles strewn all over the floor. Finally, prompted by the bell, he shakily stands up and goes downstairs to open the door. There's Daichi, looking perfect of course, standing on his doorstep.

"Hey," he says. "Akaashi sent me."

"I know," mumbles Terushima, turning away to climb back up the stairs. In his current state it feels like climbing a mountain. "Come in. Sorry it's so horrible."

Daichi doesn't say anything. He doesn't know what to say, because Terushima is right, it is horrible. The first thing he's going to do, he thinks, is make sure Terushima has a shower. Then Terushima turns on the light, and he sees the noodles on the floor and sighs.

"Akaashi sent me over to talk to you," he says, "but I think we ought to clean up first."

Terushima's face flares red. "Sorry," he mutters. God, this is the worst. If only Akaashi had sent someone else. Nishinoya or Kuroo or someone like that. Someone who wouldn't judge, who had had nights out that ended in messes just as bad as this. Daichi was too good, too perfect, to have to deal with Terushima's shit.

"It's cool, happens to the best of us," says Daichi. "Why don't you go shower and change into something clean, and I'll see if I can clean up this floor a bit."

Terushima nods mutely and goes to the tiny bathroom. He locks the door, pulls off his dirty clothes and steps into the shower, turning the shower head on full and the heat up high. The scalding water blasts over him, runs down his face and his body, and washes him clean. It's so hot it hurts, but in a good way, and instantly he starts to feel a little bit better. Over the sounds of the shower he can just hear Daichi in the next room, cleaning. Once he feels cleaner and fresher he steps out of the shower and dries himself off. He has no clean clothes as he forgot to get any out of the bedroom, but he pulls a shirt and sweatpants out of the laundry basket. They're not completely clean, but they're cleaner than what he was wearing, and a quick spray of deodorant covers the dirty laundry smell. Anyway, he thinks as he towels his hair dry, dirty laundry is a better smell than beer and puke.

Daichi looks up at him as he leaves the bathroom.

"Better?" he asks.

"A bit," admits Terushima. 

"A shower always makes me feel better when I've been drinking," says Daichi.

Terushima almost can't believe that Daichi even drinks alcohol. At work he seems like one of those 'my body is a temple' kind of guys, and Terushima has always been embarrassed knowing how little he takes care of himself compared to some of the other dancers. 

"Would you like a cup of tea?" he asks, for want of something better to say.

Daichi's face lights up. "That would be lovely, thank you," he says, and Terushima smiles for the first time that evening. "I'm almost done here."

So Terushima boils the kettle, and makes strong tea for the both of them. They can sit on the sofa now without worrying about stepping in cold noodles, and Terushima thanks Daichi for his help.

"Don't worry about it," says Daichi. "What are friends for?"

Terushima looks surprised. 

"What?" asks Daichi, raising his eyebrows.

"It's just..." Terushima tails off. He can't look Daichi in the eye. "I didn't think we were friends," he says quietly.

"Oh," says Daichi.

"It's not that I don't want to be your friend," says Terushima quickly. "I really do." His cheeks are flushing a light pink, just visible in the low lighting. He can feel the heat on his face and he hides behind his hands. "I don't know people here very well, I don't feel like I have many friends at all."

"Everyone at the company likes you."

"And yet no one ever asks me anywhere," says Terushima bitterly. "I haven't hung out with dance people once since moving here. If I didn't have Tendou and Bobata, guys I knew from back home, I would be completely alone."

"I'm sorry," says Daichi. There's silence for a beat, and then- "I don't think anyone leaves you out on purpose. We're just so tight knit, it's hard to break habits and remember to let new people in." He catches Terushima rolling his eyes, and jumps in before the other man can say anything. "But I'll make more of an effort, and I'll make sure the others do, too. I really want to hang out with you more, Teru."

"Thanks," says Teru. "Ugh, I feel so goddamn childish right now. No wonder Akaashi hates me."

"Akaashi doesn't hate you, he's just... brusque," says Daichi. "It's his idea of tough love or something. You should have seen him when Oikawa joined the company, he was worse than he's being to you."

"How does he still have dancers?" asks Terushima.

"When you've passed his idea of probation, he's actually a really good boss. He knows everyone's strengths and weaknesses, he predicts problems before they happen and fixes them before you know about it, and he genuinely cares about each and every dancer. It just takes him a while to warm to people."

Terushima looks at Daichi sceptically. 

"Trust me," says Daichi. "I've known him for a long time. I've been in the company since it started."

"Alright," says Terushima.

"So will you stick around? Come back to work and dance with me? I need you."

Terushima stares at the floor. He stares at his hands. He stares at the TV. He stares at the slightly stained carpet, where the noodles had been. He stares everywhere except at Daichi.

"Teru?"

He looks up. Daichi is still waiting for an answer.

"That's not the only thing that's freaking me out about work," admits Terushima.

Daichi waits.

"Look, I like you," Terushima blurts out.

Daichi doesn't say anything, just raises an eyebrow.

"Like, like like you," says Terushima.

"Like like?"

"Like, fancy, ok? Happy now?"

Daichi is grinning. "Terushima Yuuji, you are such an idiot."

Terushima is blushing, internally cursing his traitorous skin. "I know, that's why I can't come into work anymore. I can't work with these feelings."

"What if the feelings were reciprocated?"

"Well, that would be different, I guess. But they're not."

"Teru, I 'like like' you too," says Daichi. "In fact, I am incredibly attracted to you."

Terushima opens and shuts his mouth, goldfish style. And then he says "I thought you hated me."

"I cleaned your carpet," says Daichi, pouting. 

"Before that, I thought you hated me."

"Well, I thought you strongly disliked me. You weren't acting like you fancied me."

Terushima groans loudly. "And now you've seen me like this, in a complete and utter mess. This is shit."

"It doesn't matter. I like you, you like me. At least we've sorted that mess out."

Terushima laughs. "Yeah, I guess that was a bigger mess than this."

-

Daichi stays late. They sit on the sofa, arms touching, watching one of Terushima's many horror movies. They eat more instant noodles, laughing about how Akaashi would yell at both of them for their horrible food choices. They chat about the company, about Terushima's home town, about the frustrations of living with Oikawa and Suga. And then they find out they have similar music tastes, but vastly different movie tastes, and spend half the time agreeing and the other half playfully arguing. Daichi admits to feeling like a third wheel to his housemates, and that he hasn't had a partner since high school. Terushima admits that work is harder here than it was back at home, although he stresses that he loves to dance and wants to advance his career. He talks about Tendou and Bobata, the two friends who moved to the big city ahead of him. Daichi says that he would like to meet them.

At the biggest movie jump scare, Terushima grabs Daichi's hand. Daichi laughs.

"I thought you said you loved horror movies?"

"I love being scared," says Terushima. "That's the point of them."

Daichi doesn't let go of Terushima's hand. He rubs his thumb in small, gentle circles over the back of Terushima's hand, and Terushima leans into his shoulder.

"This is nice," Daichi whispers, resting his head on Terushima's.

"Mmmhmm," murmurs Terushima.

They fall asleep together, TV still flickering. Daichi is snoring gently, and Terushima's head is on Daichi's lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that didn't go quite where I thought it was going. I must be in a good mood, because it actually went fluffier than I planned.
> 
> There should be one more chapter, hopefully in a couple weeks but honestly, who knows..


	4. Chapter 4

Terushima wakes up to find Daichi gone. He has a splitting headache, and he feels a bit sick. The smell of food wafting from the kitchen isn’t helping. He rolls off the sofa, groaning as his joints complain from the position he must have slept in all night. His left arm has pins and needles, and he shakes it, wincing. He wiggles his fingers, the needle like pain gradually wearing off. Perhaps he dreamt that Daichi was here. Perhaps the whole evening was just a dream. He stands up, and stretches. He feels awful, but he knows that he needs to go into work. Even if he only goes in to tell Akaashi that he’s quitting. 

Wait.

The smell of food from the kitchen.

He’s not cooking anything, which means someone is in his kitchen.

Could it be…?

He hopes that it’s Daichi. Perhaps the night was real. Perhaps Daichi is still here. 

He heads over to the kitchen.

“Hey,” he calls out, softly.

“Hey,” comes a voice from the kitchen.

It is Daichi. He is still here. None of it was a dream. Terushima feels like he might burst into tears, but he holds himself together. He enters the kitchen.

Daichi is standing at the stove, hands on his hips, smiling at him. It’s a wonderful sight to see first thing in the morning. It would be a wonderful sight to see at any point in the day, but it’s particularly wonderful right now. On the stove, Daichi has placed a frying pan, one of the few kitchen utensils that Terushima actually owns, and he is frying up bacon and eggs.

“I thought you could do with a fry up after all that drinking yesterday,” he says, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Might get you in a semi reasonable state before work.”

Terushima groans, but he’s smiling. Then he pauses. “Wait,” he says. “I didn’t have any bacon in.” 

“I know, your cupboards were pretty disappointing,” said Daichi. “I had to pop to the corner shop. I got you eggs as well, and some coffee, because I figured you’d need it. Oh, and I bought a loaf of bread and a jar of pasta sauce. You can’t live on instant noodles and plain pasta. I almost bought some vegetables as well, but I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

Terushima feels embarrassed at the state of his kitchen cupboards. “Thanks,” he says quietly. “I forgot to go shopping this week.” He doesn’t admit that he usually only eats crappy food, that his few decent meals are provided by Bobata, who is big on healthy eating and forces Terushima to come over for dinner a couple of times a week. “How much do I owe you?” he asks.

“Don’t worry about it,” says Daichi, waving his hand as if to wave away any debt Terushima might owe him. “If I’m going to hang out with you more, I’m going to want some decent food!”

Terushima grins. He had been hoping that this wasn’t a one off, that he and Daichi were proper friends now, if not something more, and Daichi had just confirmed that.

“Sit down,” says Daichi. “Let’s get something fried into you.” He hands Terushima a large mug of steaming hot coffee, and then begins serving the food onto two plates.

“How do you manage to be so awake in the morning,” says Terushima, yawning before taking a long slurp of his coffee.

“Apparently I’m a morning person,” says Daichi, shrugging. “I took the liberty of showering as well, I hope you don’t mind.”

They sit down at Terushima’s tiny kitchen table. Terushima takes a couple of mouthfuls of his bacon but then finds himself staring distractedly at Daichi. He’s so big, not fat, just big. Muscly. He seems to take up so much space in the kitchen. Terushima decides that he likes that. It makes the room feel more lived in. When it’s just him here, the flat feels empty and lonely. With Daichi, it’s like it’s brightened up. It’s more alive.

“If you don’t eat it, it’ll get cold,” Daichi says, drawing Terushima out of his reverie.

They finish eating, and then Terushima excuses himself for a shower. Standing in the tiny cubicle letting the water rush over his body, he closes his eyes and lets himself think about how close he and Daichi were last night, cuddled up together on the sofa. He imagines what it would be like to fall asleep beside Daichi in a bed, and then his mind strays into territory which makes him blush, knowing Daichi is only in the next room, waiting for him. He turns the heat down on the shower, the cold water shocking him, and finishes his shower quickly.

Daichi is waiting in his living room.

“I need to stop by my place, pick up some clean clothes,” he says. “Want a ride?”

Terushima nods, dumbly. He’s anxious about going into work, in case that changes everything back to the way it was before, but he left his motorbike outside the pub yesterday, and it’s a long walk. He’ll walk over after work, pick it up before going home, but for now he decides not to worry about it, and to just accept the lift from Daichi.

He waits in the car outside Daichi’s house. It’s not that Daichi didn’t invite him in, but he knows that Oikawa and Sugawara live there too, and he’s not ready to see anyone else yet. Daichi promises him that they’ll have already left for work, and logically Terushima knows this is true, because Sugawara’s car has gone from the roadside and the front door is locked up, but he still insists on waiting in the car.

Daichi doesn’t take more than ten minutes, changing and grabbing his dance kit and some food. Sugawara has left him a flask of coffee and a packed lunch on the kitchen work surface, with a handwritten note explaining the efforts he had to go to to stop Oikawa from stealing the coffee before they left. The note is signed with a smiley face, which makes Daichi smile. He had texted Suga the night before, after Terushima had fallen asleep on him, explaining that he wouldn’t be home till morning. The only response had been a winky face in a text, and an aubergine emoji. He’d be in for some teasing at work today, even though literally nothing had happened, but he was already forgiving his best friend in advance, because the coffee and lunch was a nice touch.

Daichi slides into the car seat beside Terushima.

“Ready?” he asks. He hands Terushima the flask. “Suga made coffee, feel free to have some.”

Terushima takes him up on that, taking a long gulp and letting the heat flood his stomach and the caffeine course through his veins.

“Ready,” he says, his voice only shaking slightly.

“Good,” says Daichi, patting him on the shoulder before starting up the car.

Work doesn’t go too badly. It’s almost as if Akaashi is pretending that their phone call, the last few days, and Terushima’s childish behaviour never even happened. Terushima almost thinks that he’s slipped into a parallel universe, until the end of the day, when Akaashi pulls him to one side.

“You did good today,” he says. “Keep this up and there’ll be more opportunities for you in the company.”

Terushima isn’t sure how to react.

“Seriously,” says Akaashi. “I know I’ve been harsh on you. And…” There’s a pause. Akaashi is clearly trying to figure out how to say what he wants to say. Terushima waits, feeling anxious. “I treat everyone the same,” Akaashi says, eventually. “And for most people, this tough love thing really works. But I didn’t take into account your personality, and your other struggles, moving so far from home. I’m not saying I should have let you off easy, but I pride myself on knowing my dancers, and I don’t think I was successful this time.”

“It’s ok,” says Terushima, accepting the apology. “I know I’ve been a bit of a brat.”

Akaashi chuckles. He holds out his hand. “Are we ok now?” he asks.

Terushima shakes his hand. “Yeah, we are,” he says, smiling.

“Get back to practicing, then,” says Akaashi. “I need you in perfect condition for opening night.”

“Yessir,” says Terushima, a cheeky grin on his face. He mock salutes, and then leaves.

Akaashi watches him go, shaking his head. “That boy will be the death of me,” he mutters.

\--

Opening night goes flawlessly. At one point, Terushima is in a panic, thinking he has lost his costume, but it turns out that it’s hidden underneath Daichi’s, and everything is fine. They execute the jumps and holds perfectly, and when the audience applauds, Terushima remembers what it is about dance that he loves so much. He’s reminded of why he chose such a difficult career, why he moved himself so far from his family to find a better dance company, why he’s stuck at it even though the depression and alcohol can threaten to overwhelm him. And afterwards, backstage, Daichi sweeps him into a massive hug, and kisses him square on the lips, in front of everyone.

“That was nice,” says Terushima, as Daichi’s cheeks flush with colour.

“I want to make things official,” says Daichi.

“You mean us?”

They’ve been spending a lot of time together, both in practice and outside of it, cooking together, watching movies, even cuddling, but they hadn’t gone further than that. They’d just been really close friends. But now, basking in the glory of a successful show, high on adrenaline and excitement, it feels right. It feels as perfect as the jump they just did together. It feels like it’s meant to be.

“Yes, us,” says Daichi. He takes Terushima’s hand and leads him towards the dressing rooms. “What we have.”

“I want that too,” says Terushima.

Daichi grins, and they stop to kiss again.

“Get a room!” yells Nishinoya from behind them, and someone else wolf whistles. Terushima blushes bright red. 

“I need to shower,” he says to Daichi. “But come home with me tonight? Pizza, movies, cuddles…” He trails off, and looks at Daichi, cheeky grin on his face.

“Sounds good,” said Daichi. “I’m in.”

\--

It’s not all sunshine and roses. Terushima still gets his moods, still struggles with drowning his feelings in alcohol, still pisses people off when he acts out. And Daichi is almost too easy going, preferring to leave an argument rather than dealing with it. But they make it work, annoying the rest of the company with their excessive PDA. And they love each other, which is what matters. Both of them know that, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end! Thank you for sticking with the story even though it took me so long to write it. I hope you liked it. Sorry the ending feels a bit rushed, I had just reached the point where I needed it to be finished.


End file.
